A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 42

Swift Six Author Interview – Donna Marie West #Scifi

Name: Donna Marie West

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so): I am a Canadian educator, translator, author, and freelance editor. I’ve loved the written word as far back as elementary school, but I only started writing seriously around the age of 40. I’ve now published some 500 drabbles, short stories, and non-fiction articles in a wide variety of Canadian and American magazines, web sites, and anthologies. I love the unusual, unexplained, and mysterious, and I’ve written quite a few stories and nonfiction pieces using using these themes.

I’ve always been involved in horses and they still make up part of my day job. In my free time, I like to read, watch TV, and do research for my current projects. I’m actually one of those strange people who loves to do research! I live in Québec, Canada, with my long-time partner and two beloved kitties.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short): The title of my current novel is The Mud Man, published by Manta Press in 2022. It’s about the discovery of a man’s body in thawing permafrost soil, only it turns out that he is actually still alive! Veronica, the archaeologist who becomes his guardian as he recovers from his ordeal, and Dom, the Mud Man, learn to communicate, and eventually he is able to tell the people around him about his life in neolithic British Columbia. The question remains as to whether he will be able to adapt to living in the modern world. I consider the story to be New Adult contemporary fiction, with nuances of history, science, and prehistoric versus modern culture. I suppose it can be classified as science fiction, if I have to put it in a slot. 

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it? I’ve been writing seriously for about twenty years. As far as The Mud Man goes, it was inspired by the many reports of discoveries of frozen animals in thawing ice or permafrost and, especially, the viruses, bacteria, and worms that have actually been revived and found to thrive after being frozen for thousands (in some cases, many thousands) of years. Then there was the discovery of Otzi the Iceman, a frozen (but very dead) 5000-year-old body found in the Tyrolean Alps a few years back. I wondered what might happen if somehow, someone like him could be found frozen but alive. And Dom the mud man was born.

What writing plans do you have for the future? I am working on a religious/alternative history series I call The Line of the Blood. Book one, Next in Line, was published in 2020 and received great reviews, but it was pulled from publication when the publisher closed their doors. So, I am currently looking for a new publisher for this series. I hate the idea of self-publishing but of course, that remains an option if no alternatives pop up.

What do you like to read? The same things I like to write: paranormal, mysterious, religious history, alternative history. So, anything that touches on those themes, fiction or nonfiction.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure? Write what you are inspired to write, and don’t listen to anyone who laughs at you or tells you you’re wasting your time.

Author bio and book synopsis

Bio: Donna Marie West is a Canadian educator, translator, author, and freelance editor. She has published some 500 drabbles, short stories, and non-fiction articles in a wide variety of Canadian and American magazines, web sites, and anthologies. She loves the unusual, unexplained, and mysterious, and often finds ways to weave these themes into her stories.

Donna spends her precious free time reading, writing, and doing research for her current projects. She lives in Québec, Canada, with her long-time partner and two beloved kitties

SYNOPSIS OF THE MUD MAN:

When archeologist Veronica Booth is called to consult on a dig in northern BC, she expects to see the usual remnants of neolithic jewelry and tools. Never in her wildest dreams does she imagine finding a man’s body preserved in a thawing bog. More shocking still—he’s alive!

The mud man, as Veronica comes to think of him, is medevacked to the hospital suffering from multiple traumatic injuries, frostbite, and extreme dehydration, He carries no identification, and the remaining shreds of his leather clothing reveal no zippers, buttons, or tags. Veronica, suspecting he may be more than an indigenous hunter who has suffered a tragic accident, becomes his guardian.

The mud man matches no missing persons report and his DNA is like nothing on record, although he has markers found in several Native American tribes. Carbon-14 dating of his clothing and other items come back with the unbelievable date of 9,500 years! His doctor tells Veronica that the patient is loaded with a previously unknown, seemingly mutated form of the Bacillus F. bacteria, which he hopes to eradicate with antibiotics.

Veronica learns that three-million-year-old specimens of Bacillus F. found in thawing permafrost soil in Siberia proved to be alive and thriving. Some Russian scientists even believe it could double the human lifespan. She can’t help speculating if the mud man’s bacterial infection could explain his miraculous survival.

Weeks pass, and the mud man regains consciousness, although he is not unscathed—doctors were unable to restore circulation in his toes or the ends of his fingers, which have had to be amputated. When the hospital insists that the patient be transferred to a long-term care facility, Veronica has him moved to the private hospital run by her ex-husband, Dr. Walter Cooper. While she genuinely has the invalid’s best interests at heart, Walter sees this man with no identity as the perfect donor for his well-intentioned but questionably ethical stem cell and gene therapy treatments for traumatic brain injuries.

As he regains his strength and learns to manage basic daily activities the man, who calls himself Dom, confirms Veronica’s suspicions. He has no concept of the modern world. Veronica, her assistant Chloe McLean, and Ty Forestall, the Native American nurse/physical therapist assigned to Dom painstakingly learn to communicate with him. Dom proves to be a gifted storyteller, and they learn that the mutated bacteria that kept him alive while frozen for millennia also extended his natural life—he appears to be in his mid or late thirties, but he’s actually three times that age.

Veronica has been documenting everything, and somewhere along the way, her scientific objectivity and personal motives are superseded by a desperate hope that Dom will recover from his grief over everything he has lost and learn to live happily in the modern world.

Meanwhile, Dr. Cooper has been using samples of Dom’s stem cells and other genetic material to treat his patients, with encouraging results. When Veronica refuses to let him continue using Dom as a lab rat, they agree that there is only one alternative.

A year after he was dug out of the mud, Veronica and Walter propose that Dom take them to the place where they suspect he was infected by the mutated Bacillus F. bacteria. He agrees. Walter arranges the trip for himself, Veronica, Dom, Chloe, Veronica’s mentor, and a wilderness guide recommended by Ty.

They find the site, and Walter takes samples of soil and water, hoping that back in his laboratory he will find the bacteria with the miraculous properties. After that, as promised, they take Dom to his people’s homeland north of Tetachuk Lake. But once they reach their destination, they learn— too late—that Dom has plans of his own.

Links/Social media:  

https://www.amazon.com/author/donnamarie.west

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7876668.Donna_Marie_West

https://www.facebook.com ; https://www.mantapress.com

Link for purchase on Amazon.com: https://a.co/d/cSe0jQl

Link for purchase on Amazon.ca: https://a.co/d/jfa6Bny

Link for purchase on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61032314-the-mud-man

Excerpt Sunday – The Secret of Blossom Rise #GhostStory #Paranormal

Welcome to Excerpt Sunday – check out this teaser from The Secret of Blossom Rise

(c) A. L. Butcher

https://books2read.com/SecretBlossomRise

“Will this ever end? It seems like there is nothing but rain, rain and war,” the smaller figure said, turning her face to his, and searching, for answers no one really knew.

“It must end, one way or the other, Mabel. The world cannot endure this unrelenting horror. We will win this awful conflict or be destroyed. As for the rain – it will end, and the sun will rise,” her companion said, but the eyes which stared at the sky were not filled with hope. The man was in his mid-thirties, but his haggard face looked ten years older, such was the burden of loss he carried, and the responsibility of other men’s lives. War aged a man. She looked younger and had once been wide-eyed and innocent, but the world had seen that innocence stripped away, like skin beneath a knife.

He pulled her close, glancing around in case any onlookers should see them, but everyone was preoccupied in staying dray and their own business. “The world has gone mad, and politics with it, but we have each other. Even in the rain, you are beautiful.”

The woman held herself in his embrace for just a moment, then pulled away, “Not here, Leo. We must keep it professional.” 

Reluctantly he nodded and said louder, “I am healing well enough. The doctor tells me the limp will be permanent and I’ll never be strong again, but I’ll keep my leg and live to fight another day. Men like me are needed, and there’s few enough of us these days. I can serve my country in other ways.”

`With that, he looked at something distant – perhaps a foreign land. “Living another day is all we have these awful days. Each one is precious, for tomorrow the Nazis may be at our door. And I can’t say I am keen to return to the field of war.

I love you, Mabel, for what love in war is worth. Now be a good girl and fetch my case. I’ll meet you inside, we are early anyway.” He handed her the umbrella and hiding in the shelter of the doorway lit a cigarette and looked out towards the wards filled with the damaged, the insane and the dying. Ghosts of men, some said, and it was true. Leo felt hollow, incomplete. Something other than blood and flesh had been lost in that foreign theatre of war. In the horror he’d asked God to help him, to stop this awful mess, but all he’d heard was the scream of his comrades, the thunder of bombs and silence from the Man Upstairs. Once a Catholic – he’d cursed God’s holy name when another of his men tumbled lifelessly beside him. How could a loving God allow such slaughter? Leo knew his faith was gone, shot away piece by piece, and his soul with it.

Thinking of all the friends he’d lost, all the wickedness of man, made real in a war that had shaken the world to its iron core the man called Leo limped towards the bunker, his second home now his wounds were healing. Strategy was needed, and Leo had been behind the lines, laying mines and infiltrating where he could. He was, so he’d learned, the last survivor of his unit.

“She’ll be the death of me if those bombs don’t get us first.” Mabel was the only thing of beauty he’d seen in far too long. Too many years living on the edge of a knife where fear was one’s constant companion and loss one’s daily brethren changed a person, and not for the better. Especially a man like Leo Campbell, who could not admit to his fear, and was honoured for his perseverance and bravery under fire and his cunning.

It was all a sham. All of it – civilisation, decency, morality had all been tested and found wanting.

The Secret of Blossom Rise – A Ghost Story

When a young nurse accepts a job at a former military hospital, she unearths a family secret and finds the spectral occupants a little too familiar.

A short ghost story.

Swift Six Character Interview – Dom

Swift Six Character Interview

Character Name: Dom

Which book/world do you live in? My book is THE MUD MAN. My world is two: the northern forest, where I grew up and lived, and this new world called the city that I do not understand.

Tell us about yourself: I lived long ago. I was an elder to my people, a healer, a father, a grandfather. I died—or thought I did—only to wake up in this place called Vancouver, where I am nobody.

What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? My greatest strengths are my ability to learn and adapt and my memory that allows me to tell my story. My weaknesses are feet and hands and eyes that no longer work right and the fear and loneliness I have never felt before.

Name three important people/creatures/institutions in your world (such as lovers, pets, government institutions, leaders, gods etc). My memories are the most important thing to me. They remind me who I am. Vee, Chloe, and Ty are the people I depend on to learn about this new world.

What does ‘heroism’ mean to you? Waking up every morning and facing another day, knowing I will never see my world or my people again.

What do you think of your ‘creator’? I am amazed and grateful that she brought me to life and allowed me to tell my story.

Give us your favourite piece of advice: Tell your story any way you can. Never forget it.

Links to book:

Link for purchase on Amazon.com: https://a.co/d/cSe0jQl

Link for purchase on Amazon.ca: https://a.co/d/jfa6Bny

Link for purchase on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61032314-the-mud-man

Swift Six Character Interview -Tyler James Parkinson

Character Name

Tyler James Parkinson

Which book/world do you live in?

Book? The United, The Realm of the Light Book 1 & Shades of Mortality, The Realm of the Light Book 4.

World? I spent my mortality on the Realm of the Light, but ever since I died, I have been a Creator of Rai on the Realm of Rai.

Tell us about yourself:

Not much to say. I am just a regular person who had some unusual adventures.

What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

I don’t know about any strengths, but in mortality, I suffered from hydrophobia, and I had a tendency to stutter.  They may not have been my greatest weaknesses, but they certainly were the ones I focused on.

Name three important people/creatures/institutions in your world (such as lovers, pets, government institutions, leaders, gods etc).

Three important people, well my equal, LyAnn. My daughter, HeatherAnn. I suppose my third most important person in my mortality was my guardian angel, Kestrel.

What does ‘heroism’ mean to you?

Standing up for a belief, or for faith, even when you are standing alone.

What do you think of your ‘creator’?

I think he is a good enough writer, but I wish he would stop embellishing the history of my realm, and tell our story as it happened.

Give us your favourite piece of advice:

Enjoy every day of your mortality, because you never know when it will end.

Links to book

The United, The Realm of the Light Book 1 : https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0788FLR86

Shades of Mortality, The Realm of the Light Book 4 : https://www.amazon.com/Shades-Mortality-Realm-Light-Book-ebook/dp/B09X3F4RLF

Book Spotlight – The Mud Man #NewAdult #Scifi

Title: THE MUD MAN

Author: Donna Marie West

Genre: Contemporary new adult; anthropological science fiction (is that a genre?); cultural heritage

Main character description (short): There are two: Dom, a neolithic man found frozen but alive (barely) in northern British Columbia; and Veronica, the anthropologist/archaeologist who takes on his guardianship as he learns to adapt to the modern world.

Synopsis:

When archeologist Veronica Booth is called to consult on a dig in northern BC, she expects to see the usual remnants of neolithic jewelry and tools. Never in her wildest dreams does she imagine finding a man’s body preserved in a thawing bog. More shocking still—he’s alive!

               The mud man, as Veronica comes to think of him, is medevacked to the hospital suffering from multiple traumatic injuries, frostbite, and extreme dehydration, He carries no identification, and the remaining shreds of his leather clothing reveal no zippers, buttons, or tags. Veronica, suspecting he may be more than an indigenous hunter who has suffered a tragic accident, becomes his guardian.

The mud man matches no missing persons report and his DNA is like nothing on record, although he has markers found in several Native American tribes. Carbon-14 dating of his clothing and other items come back with the unbelievable date of 9,500 years! His doctor tells Veronica that the patient is loaded with a previously unknown, seemingly mutated form of the Bacillus F. bacteria, which he hopes to eradicate with antibiotics.

Veronica learns that three-million-year-old specimens of Bacillus F. found in thawing permafrost soil in Siberia proved to be alive and thriving. Some Russian scientists even believe it could double the human lifespan. She can’t help speculating if the mud man’s bacterial infection could explain his miraculous survival.

Weeks pass, and the mud man regains consciousness, although he is not unscathed—doctors were unable to restore circulation in his toes or the ends of his fingers, which have had to be amputated. When the hospital insists that the patient be transferred to a long-term care facility, Veronica has him moved to the private hospital run by her ex-husband, Dr. Walter Cooper. While she genuinely has the invalid’s best interests at heart, Walter sees this man with no identity as the perfect donor for his well-intentioned but questionably ethical stem cell and gene therapy treatments for traumatic brain injuries.

               As he regains his strength and learns to manage basic daily activities the man, who calls himself Dom, confirms Veronica’s suspicions. He has no concept of the modern world. Veronica, her assistant Chloe McLean, and Ty Forestall, the Native American nurse/physical therapist assigned to Dom painstakingly learn to communicate with him. Dom proves to be a gifted storyteller, and they learn that the mutated bacteria that kept him alive while frozen for millennia also extended his natural life—he appears to be in his mid or late thirties, but he’s actually three times that age.

All the while, Veronica has been documenting everything, and somewhere along the way, her scientific objectivity and personal motives are superseded by a desperate hope that Dom will recover from his grief over everything he has lost and learn to live happily in the modern world.

Meanwhile, Dr. Cooper has been using samples of Dom’s stem cells and other genetic material to treat his patients, with encouraging results. When Veronica refuses to let him continue using Dom as a lab rat, they agree that there is only one alternative.

A year after he was dug out of the mud, Veronica and Walter propose that Dom take them to the place where they suspect he was infected by the mutated Bacillus F. bacteria. He agrees. Walter arranges the trip for himself, Veronica, Dom, Chloe, Veronica’s mentor, and a wilderness guide recommended by Ty.

They find the site, and Walter takes samples of soil and water, hoping that back in his laboratory he will find the bacteria with the miraculous properties. After that, as promised, they take Dom to his people’s homeland north of Tetachuk Lake. But once they reach their destination, they learn too late that Dom has plans of his own.

Brief Excerpt 250 words:

Veronica left her backpack and sleeping bag in a tent, and they headed out for the dig site.

               After thirty minutes of hiking past sparse birch and spruce trees in the boreal forest east of the lake, they were joined by a young woman jogging towards them from the direction they were headed.

“He’s completely uncovered now!” she began, her face flushed and the words tumbling one over the other. “Hurry up! I’ve never seen anything like—”

               “He?” Veronica stopped in her tracks and glared at Anne. “You didn’t tell me you found a body!”

“We discovered him yesterday morning,” the student said with a grin. “We’ve been working ever since to dig him out.”

               They hurried another ten minutes along a deep, narrow chasm between two jagged outcroppings of rock. Several squares typical of archaeological exploration had been cut into the soil beneath the carpet of moss, but they seemed for the moment to be of no interest. Two students knelt almost reverently around a two-metre-long trench dug out of the thawing permafrost soil. Professor Sutherland, standing behind them, was taking photos with a compact digital camera.

A human body lay on its back in an almost metre-deep trench, its left leg bent beneath it, arms folded across its chest, head turned slightly to the right. Though it remained caked in mud, it appeared to be a man of average height with shoulder blade-length hair, wearing the tatters of a leather shirt and trousers, and what looked like a sealskin moccasin on the visible foot.

“He’s amazing,” Veronica murmured, her heart racing and eyes glued to the emaciated body.

Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)? I truly believe this is a unique book. Science, history, and culture are rolled up in the tale of a man who shouldn’t exist and the people whose lives are affected by knowing him.

Links etc.:

The link for purchase on Amazon.com: https://a.co/d/cSe0jQl

               The link for purchase on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61032314-the-mud-man

Amazon author link:  https://www.amazon.com/author/donnamarie.west

Goodreads author link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7876668.Donna_Marie_West

https://www.facebook.com; https://www.mantapress.com

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The Unseelie’s Wallflower – Blog Tour and Giveaway #FantasyRomance

The Unseelie’s Wallflower

Courts in Conflict Book 1

by Elisa Rae

Genre: Light Fantasy Romance

Greyson hides many things from the Unseelie Court when they invade his estate each autumn for the Wild Hunt. During his required appearance as host, he is surprised to find a human among the glittering fae. She can see him even when he is using his stealth magic, which means only one thing—they are soul mates. Can he protect her amidst the swirl of fae politics and a plot against her life?

Lyra has grown up among the fae. She has been trained to be the perfect servant. Then her master brings her to the Unseelie Court event of the year and demands she demonstrate her skills to nobles. With the promise of freedom as a motivator, she willingly agrees. Then she realizes her master’s true plan thanks to the intimidating fae lord hosting the event. Though why he would be invested in her fate is a mystery.

The Unseelie’s Wallflower is a light, fantasy romance novella about a relationship between an Unseelie and a human woman. It features faes, fated mates, and a romance between a noble and a servant, all played out against a backdrop of the peril, politics, and maneuverings of the Unseelie Court.

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

A reader of fairytales and folklore, Elisa Rae loves a happy ending. Noblebright characters, dastardly villains, and chemistry between characters delight her. When she isn’t writing, she loves to watch superhero movies and literary dramas.

Elisa Rae is the pen name of Rachel Rossano.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$20 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Swift Six Character Interview – Silver Blakely #Fantasy

Swift Six Character Interview

Character Name

Silver Blakely

Which book/world do you live in?

Steel Princess by April Grace

I live in Elysia, on the outskirts of the Steel City that has always been forbidden to me. The cruel queen’s men patrol the gates, and they scour the mountainous areas outside the Wall for humans to hunt down and kill, or to take for their human servants.

Tell us about yourself:

I’m the only gynoid in a travelling community of humans, who I didn’t know, until recently, were trying to avoid the cruel queen’s men because they have been keeping a secret. I am the stolen heir of Elysia, the steel queendom, daughter of the cruel Queen Magnolia Crescent. But I’ve spent my entire life travelling with my human friends, learning their ways and becoming just like them. I’m not supposed to be able too feel emotions like they do, but I can. If someone offends me, I’m hurt. If my friends are appreciative or loving toward me, I can empathise with them too.

I understand humans, and I would never wish to hurt them if I were queen. I want to make the world a better place for everyone, so my community and I have decided that I must return to the city I was taken from as a child, and take down the queen. To be a better and kinder ruler than she ever was.

What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

My strengths are that I’m loving, I’m kind, and I always try to do my best by my friends and family. But I suppose this can also be a weakness, because I’m not supposed to feel such things so it makes me strange, or abnormal. Broken, even. I wasn’t programmed to be this way, but my experiences have changed me.

Name three important people/creatures/institutions in your world (such as lovers, pets, government institutions, leaders, gods etc).

Unfortunately, Queen Magnolia rules over Elysia, and she has ruined the world as we know it. You only matter to her if you are rich, or made completely of steel, and even then you only matter to her as much as she can take from you.

I met Prince Elijah of Sularia when I was journeying under the Steel City to get to the queen’s palace with my human’s friends. He pleaded with us to free him, and he would help us take down the queen. As it turns out, he’s the prince of the kingdom that Elysia lives to imitate. He’s winged, and handsome, and quite charming. But I’m not sure how I feel about him just yet.

I met Seraphina on my journey as well. She’s a wolf made of pure steel, and I found her under the city when I saved her puppy. She hasn’t left my side since. She has become very dear to me.

What does ‘heroism’ mean to you?

Always doing the best for people, never being selfish, and putting other peoples’ needs before your own. I don’t consider myself a hero of any kind, but I am determined to make Elysia a fairer place for everyone. For humans especially, so they don’t have to live every day in fear anymore.

What do you think of your ‘creator’?

I was built by the palace tinkers, and that’s all I know. I was built for the queen, to be her heir, but maybe it was fate that I was taken from her hands and shown such compassion. I was angry that my parents lied to me for so long, but perhaps it was for the best. If I wasn’t, I would have ended up just like the queen, and the cycle of cruelty would have continued.

Give us your favourite piece of advice:

Always be kind, because you never know what someone is going through.

Links to book

Swift Six Author Interview – Cyndi Brec #FantasyRomance #YAFantasy

Name: Cyndi Brec

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

Cyndi Brec is a debut author of The Secrets Beneath Scars, book one of the Marked for Life series. Also, author of Scarred Secrets and Scarred Lies—short stories, prequels. She’s completed the second novel and plans to tie up the third in the series.

Cyndi is represented by Jonas Saul from Imagine Media Group Literary Management. Publicist Cristina Deptula at Authors Large and Small.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre, etc (short)

The Secrets Beneath Scars is a young adult fantasy romance

When did you start your writing adventure?

Oh, that is an easy question. I began writing The Secrets Beneath Scars several years ago as a hobby; now, it’s a deep passion.

What was the inspiration for it?

I’m an avid reader of several genres, a history lover, and a dreamer. Even more so, I appreciate mythological stories that stretch across civilizations that have been told for centuries. I like tweaking those stories, coming up with a different backstory that enriches the legend, and throwing in a character that has to fight against the odds and come out the victor. That’s what has fueled a desire to tell Callie’s story.

What writing plans do you have for the future?

Once this series is completed, I’ve tossed around the idea of writing other books related to my character and historical fantasy.

What do you like to read?

Historical romance, fantasy, mystery, some cozy, and especially Christian romance books.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure?

Finish the novel and then edit  

Author bio

Cyndi Brec is a debut author of The Secrets Beneath Scars, book one of the Marked for Life series.

An Ohio native, Cyndi lives with her best friend, her husband, her two crazy-fun-loving kids, and her embarrassingly energetic dogs, who find unending trouble.

Her experience as a Recreational Therapy Technician for the Geriatric psych and mentally challenged, her love of travel, and creative story building has given her many facets to draw from when world-building.

Cyndi never thought of herself as an author, more of a storyteller. Her love of history was part of the driving force in writing the series, but more so, mythological stories that stretched across civilizations and time. The secrets hidden within those mythical tales cultivated an unending list of questions and inspired Callie’s story.

Book blurb

In the Shadows of back alleys, a charismatic schemer gives orders to kill—death is his weapon.

In an underground, dark vaulted library, a rare mystical feathered creature stalks bookshelves, hunting mysterious legends for critical information.

And in the heartland of Ohio, a young girl finds herself left injured, scarred, and alone in a world that makes less sense with every passing day.

Meet Callie, plagued by visions—the only thing she fears more than her cursed powers is someone discovering them. Desperate for answers, Callie’s world collides with Trystan’s when she uncovers a deadly conspiracy and an unlikely ally. As it turns out, Trystan’s secrets are chained to hers. But trusting him means exposing her scars.

Trystan protects the knowledge of the Theran world—a world cloaked in archaeological mystery. It’s off-limits to humans, and secrets stab deep when she realizes her entire life is a lie.

But what if the truth is worse than the lie? What if nothing is as it seems …

Links/Social media

www.cyndibrec.com

https://www.facebook.com/

Tweets by CyndiBrec

https://www.instagram.com/cyndibrec7/

Book Spotlight – Steel Princess – April Grace #Fantasy #YAFantasy

Title: Steel Princess

Author: April Grace

Genre: YA fantasy

Main character description (short). Waist length silver hair, blue eyes, petite figure, cotton tops and leather trousers.

Synopsis: TWO WORLDS: ONE OF MAGIC, ONE OF STEEL.
She just wants to belong.
Determined to fit in and connect with her human friends, android Silver has always felt like an outsider within her human travelling community. In Elysia, humans are seen as outsiders, their steel queen claiming every last one of them as rebels. They’ve always been on the run. Like her mother, Silver just wants to help others.
But when cruel Queen Magnolia’s soldiers come looking for their missing princess, who was stolen by rebels when she was only three years old, Silver begins to unravel an endless string of secrets woven into the family she has always cared for. Could her parents have stolen her from the Elysian palace when she was small? Worse, could she be the princess they’re looking for?
After journeying to their Northern Mountain Sanctuary where her parents were born, Silver finds a new purpose:
She must kill the cruel queen and take her throne before she destroys them all.
He only longs to know who he really is.
Tinker Eden has only ever known life in the palace lab. Taken from his home in the Northern Mountain Sanctuary when he was only three years old and brought to the palace, he spends his days working under close supervision of Master Lennox, building, rebuilding and repairing the Elysian royals until his fingers bleed. He knows nothing of his parents or their lives, and remembers barely a thing of his childhood, leaving far too many questions about his own life unanswered.
So when Master Lennox’s assistant reveals he’s been working with a community outside of Elysia and sends him to the Sanctuary where he was born to work on the missing princess, Eden seeks the opportunity to return home and learn more about where he came from.
When Silver and Eden meet, their connection is clear, but things don’t always go to plan. Kidnapped by pirates while searching for his parents at the Elysian harbour, Eden finds himself caught up in an adventure across the seas to Elysia’s magical enemy Kingdom of Panyria, who have plans to infiltrate the steel queendom.
He discovers a world full of magic, new friends, and the family he’s always wished he had.
Both only want to make the world a fairer place for everyone.

Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)?

It’s a fantasy story with a futuristic touch. Fast paced, and full of magic: sirens, mermaids, pirates, androids and cyborgs and more.

Link to Steel Princess on Amazon

Release Blitz – Curve Appeal #Romance #EroticRomance

NEW RELEASE from Lucy Felthouse – Curve Appeal, a standalone contemporary reverse harem/why choose romance! (@cw1985) #reverseharem #whychoose #rh #rhromance #eroticromance #bbw #curvyheroine #rubenesque

Blurb:

An exciting opportunity could solve all Brianna’s problems. But will it ultimately create more?

Brianna Denton is a primary school teacher at the end of her tether. Budget cuts, changes in legislation and a pandemic have left her feeling like walking away from the only career she’s ever wanted. The trouble is, if she did quit, what would she do next? Living in London is expensive, and keeping on top of her rent and bills while retraining would be nigh-on impossible. An offer to move in with her best friend, Joel Harris, is appreciated, but feels way too much like charity for her liking.

But then Joel throws her a curveball. On a complete whim, he’s bought a fixer-upper cottage on a remote Scottish island. He wants to transform it into an uber-luxury holiday home and rent it out. To do that, however, he needs a skilled, reliable workforce and a project manager to keep things running smoothly. A visit to the island in question provides as many questions as answers, but one thing becomes clear – Brianna is the perfect woman for the job. She’s smart, organised, works well under duress, and if she can handle a classroom full of young children, surely a bunch of skilled tradesmen won’t be a problem. Working and living in such a stunning setting is a massive plus point, too.

Brianna takes a leap of faith, leaving her home and beloved career behind to help turn Joel’s dream into a reality. It’s a steep learning curve, but Brianna is definitely up for the challenge. But when working relationships develop into something more, will it bring the entire project crashing down around her ears, or is it simply the beginning of a whole new life?

Available from (will be in Kindle Unlimited for 90 days, then be released on all other retailers): https://books2read.com/curveappeal

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/134717777-curve-appeal

Add to BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/curve-appeal-by-lucy-felthouse

*****

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Brianna smiled as she caught sight of Joel, already waiting for her outside the pub. His job as a high-flying London City banker meant he put in some insane hours at work, but he ensured he was always available and on time for their last-Friday-of-the-month meet up at their favourite Thames-side establishment. Not only was it a lovely place, but the location was perfect for them both—it was just far away enough from Joel’s work it was unlikely he’d bump into any colleagues, and close enough to the primary school Brianna taught in that she could tie up any loose ends and scurry the short distance to meet her friend in no time at all. Today she’d had quite a few loose ends, which always seemed to be the way lately, and was a few minutes later than she’d planned, so was scurrying more quickly than usual, not wanting to keep him waiting any longer than necessary.

He hadn’t spotted her yet—he was leaning against the wall, one expensively-shod foot propped up on the bricks behind him, his head tilted up to the early spring sunshine, which even this late in the day was surprisingly strong and picked up the few lighter strands in his dark hair. He’d removed his tie—knowing him, the moment he set foot outside his office building—the end of which poked from the pocket of his black trousers, and rolled up the cuffs of his subtly-patterned shirt to expose most of his forearms. The look was casual, relaxed. Handsome.

In a parallel universe, she and Joel might be a couple, off travelling the world together, or perhaps married and getting ready to settle down and have a couple of kids. Maybe they’d have started early and had the kids already. And a dog.

In this universe, however, they were best friends—had been since their first day of senior school at the tender age of eleven. And while Brianna thought Joel handsome, it was in an impartial, stating a fact way. She wasn’t attracted to him, and it wouldn’t have made a difference if she was, because in this universe, Joel was as gay as they came—a fact she hadn’t realised she’d already known, until at eighteen he’d sat her down, his expression serious, and said he had something to tell her.

Her heart had pounded, and a sick feeling had taken over her stomach. Thoughts started racing through her head—was one of his parents ill? Was he ill? Was he moving away? Unable to cope with the internal onslaught of negativity any longer, she’d said, “For Christ’s sake, Joel, spill the beans, would you? You’re freaking me the fuck out.”

His seriousness had morphed briefly to annoyance, then resignation. He’d taken in and released a deep breath, then, “Bree, I wanted you to be the first to know… I’m gay.”

A sound somewhere between a squeak and a giggle had escaped her lips before she could stop it. She’d clapped her hand over her mouth for a second, then removed it and burst out with “Oh, you idiot!” before landing a playful slap on his arm. “Is that all? I thought you were going to say something bad. That something terrible was going on. Thank God.”

Joel had frowned. “So you… don’t mind?” He’d paused, narrowed his eyes. “You don’t seem surprised.”

She’d shaken her head. “Of course I don’t mind. Why the hell would I mind? I’m not a homophobe. If blokes float your boat, so be it. As long as you’re happy, I couldn’t give a toss. And, for the record…” it had been her turn to pause, “I think I’ve known for years.” She nodded as long-forgotten jigsaw pieces began slotting together in her head, then shrugged. “Yeah. I have. Years.”

And now, twenty years later, their friendship had endured—flourished, even. Weathered storms, and basked in sunlight—much as Joel continued to do as she grew closer. Her smile widened, and she was glad she had on flat shoes—not only did it make both her job and the short walk from the school easier, it also meant she had a good chance of creeping up on Joel, maybe scaring the shit out of him as he sunned himself. They might be approaching forty, but when they were together, they often acted as immature and idiotic as they had when they’d first met. Yes, they were getting older, but they sure as shit weren’t growing up.

Respective partners had come and gone, most of them never able to comprehend, much less tolerate, hers and Joel’s unique friendship, but as their jobs, and other friends and family kept them busy and fulfilled, singledom had never particularly concerned either of them. As far as she was concerned, at least, what would be, would be.

She enjoyed the sunshine on her skin as she closed the gap between them, then held her breath as she came within a couple of metres of Joel before flinging herself forward and grabbing onto his nearest finely-muscled arm. “Gotcha!”

He yelped, jumped, snatched his arm away and opened his eyes in a hilarious sequence, then clutched his chest and gave her a good-natured glare, his blue eyes glinting. “Fuck’s sake, Bree! You’re lucky I didn’t swing for you, then. I thought someone was trying to rob me.”

“That’ll teach you to wear ludicrously expensive watches,” she replied with a snicker.

He glanced wryly at his Patek Philippe, then looked back at her with a grin. “Touché. Come on,” he turned around, slipped his arm through hers and led her into the relative gloom of the pub, “for that twattishness, first drink’s on you.”

She couldn’t argue with that reasoning. It was still worth it, though, to see the look of pure panic cross his face. She stifled further giggles, not wanting to inspire her friend to order the most expensive drink he could think of, purely to get his own back. While top of the range watches were easily within his budget, she’d had to save up for a mid-range Fitbit.

A few minutes later, with drinks in hand, they sat down at a table on the terrace overlooking the river and took simultaneous sips of their chosen beverages. Brianna swallowed the mouthful of chilled white wine, then, without meaning to, let out a long, contented sigh.

Joel raised an eyebrow as he swigged his beer, then said, “Sounds as though you needed that. Tough week?”

“Hmm. You could say that.” She fidgeted in her seat, getting the uncomfortable inkling she’d opened a can of worms she’d have preferred was left undisturbed.

“Oh?” His other eyebrow jumped up to join the first. “Do tell.”

She stared out over the river, screwed up her nose and wafted a hand in his vague direction. “No, no, it’s work stuff. Boring, really. Not worth talking about.”

“Bree.” He grabbed her hand, drawing her attention to his face. His expression was earnest, his gaze intense. “Maybe it is boring, but it’s clearly bothering you, so I want to know about it. I’m your best friend, remember? If you can’t tell me, who can you tell?”

She squeezed his hand, then pulled hers away, picked up her glass and took a gulp. Swallowed, then groaned. There was no putting the lid back on the can—she might as well come out with it. “Oh, all right. It’s just… I don’t know… I think I’m getting a bit fed up of teaching.”

Joel spluttered into his pint, drawing querying glances from a few of the people at tables adjacent to theirs. Ignoring them, Joel put his drink down, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and gaped at her as though she’d grown a second head. “What? But you… you love teaching!”

Nodding sadly, she replied, “I do. The teaching part. The kids. But the rest; the planning, the admin, the assessing, the being assessed, being micromanaged, dealing with parents, the endless fucking meetings, the meetings about meetings, the meetings that could have been an email… it’s getting on top of me. It wasn’t too bad before—the joy of being in the classroom far outweighed the rest, but since the pandemic, the shambles that is bloody Brexit and the subsequent government fuckery, things have become steadily worse. Rules being changed, goalposts moving, budgets being squeezed, funding getting cut, costs going up. We’re expected to work more and more hours for the same amount of pay, with fewer support staff, yet still uphold the same insanely high standards and have enough energy and spark to engage and teach a class of primary school kids! It’s becoming completely untenable. And the strike action hasn’t exactly been stress free.”

Joel gave her a sympathetic smile. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better. Why haven’t you mentioned this before now?”

She shrugged. “No point. All the decisions are way above my pay grade, so there’s nothing I can do. I’ve just been soldiering on, hoping things will improve. But right now, I honestly can’t see an end in sight. We’re human beings, not robots, and we’re being treated like shit. We’ve come a long way from being lauded as keyworkers, that’s for bloody certain.” She rolled her lips inward, bit down on them, wondering whether she should let the words on the tip of her tongue come out. She’d barely admitted it to herself, much less anyone else. But this was Joel. He’d have her back no matter what she said.

She took a deep breath, huffed it out again, then looked him in the eye. “I’m thinking of jacking it in at the end of term.”

*****

Author Bio:

Lucy Felthouse is the award-winning author of erotic romance novels Stately Pleasures, Eyes Wide Open, The Persecution of the Wolves, Hiding in Plain Sight, Curve Appeal, and The Heiress’s Harem and The Dreadnoughts series. Including novels, short stories and novellas, she has over 170 publications to her name. Find out more about her and her writing at http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/linktree 

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